Mountain Elaenia
Elaenia frantzii
The Mountain Elaenia (Elaenia frantzii) is a uncommon tyrant flycatcher found in 9 countries, weighing about 20 g. The mountain elaenia is a small passerine bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.
About the Mountain Elaenia
The mountain elaenia is a small passerine bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The mountain elaenia is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 14 to 24 g (0.49 to 0.85 oz). It is a small to medium size elaenia with a rounded crest. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a brownish olive head with lighter cheeks, a thin very pale olive eyering, and a mostly hidden white patch on the crown. Their upperparts are grayish olive. Their wings are mostly dusky with pale olive or olive-yellow edges on the flight feathers. The tips of their wing coverts are yellowish olive and show as two bars on the closed wing. Voice: The northern and southern pairs of subspecies of the mountain elaenia have somewhat different vocalizations, which is part of the evidence hinting that they are separate species. The dawn song of the northern pair is "an endless repetition of an overslurred whistle followed by a rising burry part and a higher-pitched second overslurred note, all three notes interconnected without a clear pause".
What the Mountain Elaenia sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Mountain Elaenia can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mountain Elaenia?
- The mountain elaenia is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs about 14 to 24 g (0.49 to 0.85 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mountain Elaenia?
- The Mountain Elaenia is a small sized bird weighing about 20 g.
- Where can you see a Mountain Elaenia?
- The Mountain Elaenia occurs in 9 countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela and Guatemala.
- What does a Mountain Elaenia sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Mountain Elaenia on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Mountain Elaenia?
- The Mountain Elaenia is most easily confused with the White-crested Elaenia, the Small-billed Elaenia and the Caribbean Elaenia.
- Is the Mountain Elaenia endangered?
- The Mountain Elaenia is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Mountain Elaenia for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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